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| Why Are You So Tired All the Time? |
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What's Causing Your Fatigue?
Sure, we all know what it feels like to be tired. But fatigue refers to a lingering tiredness that is constant and limiting. According Dr. Harris H. McIlwain, Tampa-based rheumatologist and author of The Fibromyalgia Handbook, patients who complain of fatigue feel tired even when they've had plenty of sleep and should feel rested.
While some patients admit to feeling sleepy, with fatigue there's usually a feeling of exhaustion without feeling drowsy, says McIlwain, an adjunct professor at the University of South Florida. "Some patients with fatigue compare it to having the flu or to the feeling after working very long hours and missing a lot of sleep."
These patients say they are fatigued on arising in the morning, fatigued after mild activity such as grocery shopping, too fatigued to function adequately at work or do household chores and too fatigued to exercise or have sex, McIlwain says. "In most cases, there's a reason for the fatigue, whether poor time management, too much caffeine, anemia, fibromyalgia, depression or even undiagnosed heart disease."
Before you blame your age or your "superwoman" lifestyle on your feelings of fatigue, learn what might be at the root of your unexplained tiredness and what some top experts recommend to resolve your fatigue.
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Find more causes and treatments for fatigue at WebMD
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| More from March's Spotlight on Health: Women's Health—Thyroid and Fatigue |
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SOURCES: Harris H. McIlwain, MD, rheumatologist, adjunct professor, University of South Florida, Tampa; author, The Fibromyalgia Handbook, 3rd Edition. Ronald R. Fieve, MD, psychopharmacologist, professor of clinical psychiatry, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City; author, Bipolar II. Nieca Goldberg, MD, director, NYU Medical Center Women's Heart Program; associate professor, NYU School of Medicine, New York City. Rebecca Amaru, MD, clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York City. W. Stephen Pray, PhD, RPh, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, Okla. Rudy Rivera, MD, author, Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat. WebMD Feature: "Living with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue." WebMD Feature: "Why Am I So Tired?" WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Sleep Apnea—Treatment Overview." WebMD Medical Reference provided in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic: "Depression: Detecting Depression." WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Hypothyroidism
As a reminder, always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.
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